Why not? - English

11-13 James and the Giant Pumpkin

The doorbell rang and I put down the book I was reading to pass the time. It was the fifth one this week and I was really getting tired of reading. There was nothing on TV that interested me and the only distraction I had was when my friends and colleagues messaged me.

Every day while at work, Sam had somehow managed to convince Steele to take a patrol around town, which Sam used to bring me some food that he had prepared at his house the night before. He had called every evening and wanted to come over to check on me. I refused to do it every evening because my cold had gotten worse over the first three days and I didn't want him to get infected, but I also had reservations about showing myself to him with a cold and completely exhausted. It would definitely repel him.

I wasn't really surprised to see Sam when I opened the door, but I was surprised at the paper bag he was carrying in his arms in front of his chest.

"Sam, no call today?" I greeted him teasingly, reminding him that he must have forgotten something.

"So that you reject me again and I'll be so bored that I cook for you at home?" he said with a grin and I rolled my eyes in mock frustration as I invited him in with a wave of my hand.

"Bored? I thought you did this because you're such a caring person?! But I have to admit that I could get used to your cooking skills. Why don't you ever cook on the station?" I replied to him as I closed the door behind him.

"That's Elvis' part. I don't want to take that away from him," he replied with a grin and looked me up and down in my jogging suit. "How was your forced vacation? You look like you've recovered quite well."

"Relaxing. The cold was more in my bones than I thought. But this way I was able to do something about it before it got really bad," I said with a smile. I actually felt better and today Helen finally gave me the green light to go back to work tomorrow. Sam had probably already noticed this, since I had called Steele directly this afternoon and asked about the roster for next week. "How was the vegetable show?" I asked him directly, as my eyes fell on the tip of a leek coming out of the bag.

"Turbulent. Norris turned everything upside down," he objected angrily and went into the kitchen to put the bag at the table. "Speaking of which, that's why I'm here. I wanted to bring you some vegetables. It was way too much a lot and was therefore distributed generously. There are only a few bite marks here and there, but you can cut them away."

"Thanks, Sam," I replied, surprised. But today, under the circumstances, I would be able to give him something in return for how well he had looked after me over the last week. "I could quickly make a casserole with it. Have you eaten yet?" I asked him when I looked into the bag to see what was in it.

"No, actually I haven't. I must have forgotten that earlier when Norris escaped from us the second time. By the way, next week you should get a few go-karts and a giant pumpkin out the sea below the lighthouse," he replied quietly and rubbed embarrassed at the back of his head. This story sounds to be funny.

"Sit down and get some rest. I'll make dinner quickly," I said, grabbing the bag and placing it on the sink before pulling out the drawer underneath to grab a knife. I looked up at Sam in surprise as he also reached into the drawer and grabbed a knife.

"No chance. Of course I'll help you. It's quicker with two people," he said with a smile and I couldn't help but smile too before I handed him a cutting board and started washing the vegetables.

While we chopped the vegetables, Sam told me what had happened at the vegetable show and while our meal was cooking in the oven with a home-made cream sauce and sprinkled with cheese, he told me what had been going on that week. We had so much fun and I was amazed again at how normal it felt to talk and laugh with Sam. How much fun it was because we seemed to have the same sense of humor. We never ran out of things to talk about, even over dinner.